EMERGENCY LIGHTING TEST OVERVIEW
Emergency Lighting is the ‘backup’ lighting that kicks in when there’s a power cut to the mains supply which would otherwise plunge a building into darkness.
It must be properly designed, installed, maintained, and tested by qualified electricians in order to meet regulations.
At Able Electric Birmingham Testing, our expert engineers take the worry out of the whole process for you by ensuring that your systems are up to date, up to standard, well maintained, and above all, provide the required level of safety for your employees and customers in the event of an emergency.
INFO REGARDING EMERGENCY LIGHTING
You can break emergency lighting down into three main categories:
EMERGENCY ESCAPE LIGHTING
When people need to leave a building in an emergency and the power has gone out, such as in the event of a fire, emergency lighting covers all escape routes. The aim is safely to guide people to their nearest exit via lit escape routes.
EMERGENCY SAFETY LIGHTING
This applies when power has failed, but it’s not an emergency situation. Emergency safety lighting is enough for people to remain in areas of a building while power is restored, but it’s not enough to carry on working.
STANDBY LIGHTING
This is backup lighting that is activated during a power cut to a level that allows work to continue. This has to be 100% of the normal lighting as a standby measure.
WHO REQUIRES EMERGENCY LIGHTING?
Almost all commercial properties, including workplaces, retail, leisure, and public buildings (and some domestic properties) need some form of emergency lighting and there are different requirements relating to different categories of buildings.
Risk assessments are usually necessary to determine what level of emergency lighting system is needed.
EMERGENCY LIGHTING TESTING PROCEDURES
All emergency lighting needs to be regularly tested by qualified electricians in accordance with safety standards. This is to ensure it is working correctly, compatible with fire safety systems, and continues to meet regulations – for example, if you’ve redesigned or refurbished your premises, the chances are your emergency lighting systems will need to be altered accordingly.
Various tests are required daily, monthly, and annually, including checks of individual luminaires and exit signs and of central battery systems.
WHAT ARE THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING RULES AND REGULATIONS?
Rules and regulations around emergency lighting have toughened up in recent years and the legal obligations for installing emergency lighting systems now carry the same importance as fire alarm systems.
Relative legislation includes the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order), the Health and Safety at Work Act, Building Regulations, and the EU Workplace Directive.
Emergency lighting regulation is covered by a variety of British Standards at each stage of the process, including general advice about the provision of emergency lighting (BS 5266-1:2016), the specified illumination (BS EN 1838: 2013), minimum requirements for the provision and testing of emergency lighting for different premises and various product standards (BE EN 50172:2004/BS 5265:2004).
EICR FAQs
What is an EICR test?
An EICR – or Electrical Installation Condition Report – is an official document produced following a full inspection of the electrical systems and installations in your home or workplace.
As part of the periodic inspection process, qualified electricians will check whether your electrics are well-maintained and, more importantly, safe. Once your premises have passed all the checks and any urgent remedial work has been carried out, you will be presented with a certificate of safety.
Who can provide an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report – or EICR – is an in-depth inspection of the electrical systems at your home, place of work or public premises.
Periodic testing and inspection should only be carried out by electrically competent, qualified electricians. EICR Testing engineers are further trained to City & Guilds 2395 Inspection and Testing level.
Who needs an EICR?
Electrical Installation Condition Reports are for any buildings or premises which have electrical systems. They are used by business owners, homeowners, landlords and authorities which manage a variety of public buildings, such as schools, churches and leisure centres etc.
There are many reasons why a business or property owner might request an EICR and there are many benefits to having one, but what it often boils down to is documented proof that the on-site electrics are safe.
How often do I need an EICR?
How often an EICR is needed depends on the size of the installation and the purpose it is used for. Large factories housing industrial plant, for example, will need to be inspected more frequently than a domestic property.
As a guide, an Electrical Installation Condition Report should be carried out at the minimum of:
- Domestic installations – every 10 years or at a change of occupancy
- Commercial installations – every 5 years or at change of occupancy
- Industrial installations – every 3 years
- Landlord-owned residential accommodation – every 5 years or at change of occupancy
- Offices, shops and laboratories – every 5 years
Is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) a legal requirement?
Although an Electrical Installation Condition Report – or EICR – is not a legal requirement in itself, many property owners are bound by legal obligations to their staff, customers or tenants which can be met by an EICR inspection. Relevant legislation could include the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 or The Landlords and Tenants Act (1985).
How much does an EICR cost?
The cost of an EICR varies from premise to premise. For example, there is much more work involved in testing a large plant facility in comparison with a residential property. Tests can take anything from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the size and nature of the operation.
Also, no two businesses are the same, which means the testing procedure differs each time an Electrical Installation Condition Report is carried out.